Monday, July 28, 2008
Procrastination!
This weekend was quite non stop for me...still trying to catch up on lost time!Let's see..last week there were two birthdays! Jackie & Nick ^_^. And more coming up as we speak.. I just want to wish both of you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! =D (since the two of you don't read blogs, i'll keep this brief xP) Thankyou for being such great friends; love, rage and awesomeness. ^_^v Keep it up! (Except for the middle one. :P)
Saturday we played the final match of the winter soccer season (for school). Based on the somewhat embarrassing results over the season, I was not expecting to win this last match..especially against one of the better teams. But proven wrong for the second time, we won 4-1! In a fairly one sided affair, I had two runs denied due to a very inconsistent ref (calling off-side from the CENTRE), which could have been converted to two goals! But oh well. We finished the season on a high, with a few PRO goals!
Oh yeah. Backtracking just a little. Friday night...just before soccer, I was going for a drive around box hill with my mum. (Just practising) To cut a long story short, I was extremely close to having an accident.
Basically..as I was approaching the main road (from a side street), I accidently stepped on the accelerator...instead of the brake! And shot out halfway into another car's lane, who swerved across to a screeching stop, centimetres from the side door. Followed by a barrage of rude horning and a peculiar feeling of shock that overwhelmed me...it was a scary experience. Even writing this right now brings back quite an eerie feeling.. But all i can do really..is thank God. Thank Him for protecting me and my mum (and the car :P) from a close call. You know, this really opened my eyes to the importance of life. Although it wasn't THAT serious..I really wouldn't know what would have happened if the worst was to occur. So once again, Thankyou God. No matter what, in the bleakest of situations, even if the world crashes down around you, He will always be there...just holding His hand out.. waiting to grasp you away to the safety and comfort under His wings.
On another note, Sunday I saw one of the best movies...EVER. The Dark Knight, if you haven't already seen it, is one of the best best best best best movies ever! The non stop action to the flawless character portrayed by Heath Ledger, twists after twists, shocks and fiery explosions, accompanied by random humour here and there...that's only the beginning! Yeah...Batman dies. Sorry for spoiling it :)
LOL! Jokes :) I'm not that bad. (A) right?
anyways..i had great fun with josh-keean-jackie-stephi-nessa-kim&peter. Seriously...I wouldn't mind watching that movie again. Anyone up for seconds? ^.^
Today lol.
The topic of the post.
PROCRASTINATION.
Got home around 4pm...and remembered...I needed to find / make and instrumental for our song for rally! (If we end up following through). I spent FOUR HOURS in total, searching for instrumentals, then searching for a program to MAKE and instrumental...figuring out how to use it...then realising it's only a trial version...then looking again. Then editing..then stuffing up an hour's worth of work because i forgot to save! (well..i didn't know how)
*Sigh.
I managed to get an instrumental that kind-of works...but then i stuffed HALF A SECOND of it..and decided to start again. talk about perfectionist. Chaii. Oh well. In the end..i achieved nothing. ironic huh. And then rushed all my other homework..which I am yet to complete :D
Well..it's not due yet!
Well I guess...it goes to show..you can't become an expert in something in one day! No matter how talented you are. Or awesome. *pose* Haha. But i guess..it's something like Christianity. Our relationship with God shouldn't be something done in one day...rushed and incomplete...but instead..should be something we constantly do; think about and act out, whilst constantly seeking and thanking Him for everything we've been blessed with. Just a thought or two...but yeah. it's getting late.
I'd love to talk more..but i'll be too tired tomorrow..
Well on the bright side, I don't have house singing at 8am! Woot!
But i've still lost my voice! Hopefully I get it back soon.
Nights =]
Dan13L.
note to self: DO WORK!
message left at 28.7.08
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Weekend.
Following the first week of school, there was nothing more I was looking forward to than the weekend! After nights of bad concentration (as a result of TETRIS), and the homework beginning to pile up, I was beginning to get quite fed up. Hmmph. With what? I dno..But yeah. Saturday was quite an interesting day.
Woke up EARLY to play soccer (for school..how lame). Got there just on time, and played quite a "fun filled" game. Of tiredness and exhaustion maybe. Then went for a drive ^.^ yay! Then went to tuition. Then had Altitude practice. Woot!
I honestly don't know how I managed to pack so much into one day... There basically wasn't a minute for me to stop, let alone EAT and catch my breath. Nevertheless, I got my work done, and had fun along the way. Awesome.
So yeah. As you might know, the August "Crazy Sex Rally" is looming large (note alliteration), and we have been practicing our song quite 'gayly' (HAPPILY). Obviously >< We managed to work out the different parts to our song, something that had taken us AGES previously..so praise God!
Sunday morning, I was teaching in n:gauge, the older kid's class. (second service) ^.^ Woo! I was talking to the kids about worship, how we should worship and thank God constantly. Just preparing for the lesson, it occurred to me that I hadn't been living all of my life in worship to God, even at times I'd just fall asleep forgetting to spend time with Him. Like talking on the phone late and falling asleep halfway through. LOL Stephi. Haha, but yeah..this message really opened my eyes to the importance of worship, be it through singing, actions, words and time, I sometimes fail to comprehend how great our God really is. But now I've committed myself to a life of worship, and I pray that God will just help me through and walk by my side. For through the troubles and stresses of life, He will always be there.
So. The weekend finished with a celebration for Jackie's birthday...as well as Audrey's gay girlfriend (Nick =P) Was good fun, good FOOD, interesting discussions, great friends and an awesome time!!
Although I didn't get through any work on Sunday. T.T
But it's all good. :)
I'm finishing it off now.
So from Daniel.
Till next time.
Bye =]
Time for random pics.
awesome posers right?
even awesomer posers ^.^
Haha.
message left at 21.7.08
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Back to school...
Following a good two weeks of rest, excitement and boredom, the calendar had decided that it was time for school once again. The first day wasn't really that bad...I (amazingly) managed to finish all of my work, (thank God!) woke up on time, got to school before the bell!Quite an achievement huh? Besides the sleepless night of dreading school, stress and a million thoughts flying through my mind, school wasn't as bad as I had expected! It was great catching up with school friends, as well as a fresh new term and attitude to accompany it. I didn't get too much work, just a LOT and a LOT of reading ... lets see, three, no..four books for classics, another for english...*sigh. I don't consider myself much of a reader lately, but I've decided to do them all bit by bit.
my highlight for this week? hmm. I watched Enchanted for the first time on sunday night..lol..for some reason, Josh made me promise never to watch it..but yeah. heres an exception. sorry! haha. i really didn't expect it to be that good! it's like the perfect fairytale movie...an amazing euphony of songs, a magnificent array of dance and music, a "so cute" storyline, and a hot main actress ;), this was one of my favourite movies (second only to HSM =] ) Some of the songs are really nice and sweet, like lollies. ahaha. go random similes!
but blankets upon blankets, wearing various layers of clothing, a heater, scarf and gloves does get annoying after a while. Cold mornings, cold nights, cold hands...one thing i'm really missing atm is SUMMER! Summer! my favourite month of the year! the long, warm, sunny days...MY BIRTHDAY!, the australian open, the summer holidays...what an awesome season! although it gets rather HOT time to time (like me) LOL, i am really missing summer! But..by next summer, I would have finished my classics 3/4 exam =O, and about to start year 12! No way..i'm quite stressed about that really. But thankyou jerusha for your encouraging and wise wise advice =). You rock!
On a complete change of topic, I was looking through photos on facebook, and on the computer from like three four years ago...just reminiscing. Quite fun really...a good place to escape from all the pressure and stress from everyday life :). Whilst listening to the sweet ambrosia of the Enchanted soundtrack, washing over your ears and wandering mind...it brought back heaps of memories! one of the reasons i've now decided to keep a blog! Anyway LOL. i came across this rather peculiar picture. quite funny if you ask me..just this year actually..during the australian open...audrey and alvin came to visit =D. (I was a ballboy if you don't know) Probably one of the most amazing, interesting, tiring and exhilarating experiences I've ever had, working as a ballkid at the grand slam of asia/pacific.
audrey's posing skills never cease to amaze me. haha.
go federer!
me TRYING to be nearly half as cool as aud.. but not. haha.
Just a little moment for me. Thanks to aud for visiting, and for the pics there. =]
Anyways..my little reminiscing session seems to be drawing to a close..upon realisation there is work to be done...reading to do...
Just a small collection of my thoughts over the last few days...
That's all for now ^.^
Dan13L.
message left at 16.7.08
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The Holidays!
YES! Finally! After exams, and two weeks of nothingness, it's finally holidays!!! The longest twelve weeks of my life... and now the fastest two week holiday of my life. Doesn't time fly! So..what have I been up to these holidays?Lets see..
- Stressing about the hair shave
- Drove for the first time! (yay!)
- Camp
- Met up with old friends
- Saw a few movies
- Procrastinated
- Did i mention procrastinated?
Seriously. T.T These holidays...i was actually hoping to get some work done. I've never actually had such a busy homework schedule...i'm still only like halfway through! From assignments to essays, revision to reading, reading and more reading... my holiday was set to be full of FUN and JOY! Ahem. Well I must say I've had a good rest! Sleeping around two, waking up past twelve - you get used to it after a while. While tetrising, facebooking, msning. How fun! ^.^
That is probably as close to what a 'typical' holiday-day involves for me.. but today, i'm quite happy. I started my homework! With three days till school, i realised i probably should get some work done. The next day and a bit is going to be quite crazy. Still got three books to read, an assignment to start, language analysis, methods work. But i'll get there, hopefully =]
Yesterday. Friday the 11th of June. Quite LOL. I woke up around 11am (quite early by my standards) and was quite excited! Going to drive! Weeee. But there was a problem: the family car is currently getting repaired...should be back by 12pm!
(My thought process)
*Waits.* 12pm. Hmm okay..still not here. *Waits more*. Oh yeah..I need to be in box hill! Altitude rehearsal! 1pm! with stanley! Should be okay.. AND i'm meant to be seeing a movie with some friends!?? *waits*. Okay..it's getting quite late. When does the next bus to box hill come? WHAT. ONE HOUR'S TIME? no way! GAR!
So here the awesome suspense story comes. I quickly run out of the house, and get to the tram stop. Just my luck, a tram is there! Woot! I'm trying to get to the bus stop, which is a few stops away. Thing is though..it leaves...er..NOW! *Heartbeatingfaster*. Quick, quick, quick. *Sees the bus* JUST IN TIME! Couldn't have been better timing. By this time i was quite stressed, and awesomely..i got there in the fraction of time! Praise God! ^_^ So yeah...little did i know..i caught the bus with the FURTHEST route to box hill. It went like around in circles..for half and hour..when it should have taken me less than fifteen minutes! Gar! Oh well. I made it to box hill office, an hour after our rehearsal started.
*Walks in awkwardly* Audrey, Stanley, Shaun, Keean and Josh sitting quietly.
"Hi?" *smile*
To cut a long story short, we had quite a successful rehearsal! We found this really really awesome song, (thanks to Aud), and I'm actually quite surprised that we were able to sing it on first practice! Woots! =] Well done guys... And stanley was surprisingly nice ^.^ He really helped us with our voice projection, pitching and harmony..thanks heaps~! So yeah.. rally is coming up at the end of next month (quite soon eh)...and we're looking forward to it, that God's name be proclaimed and glorified! Get excited! =D
I even managed to read a little..Classics is just about the worst 3/4 to do. Don't do it!! Ever. It's hard. That reminds me..100 or so days till 3/4 exams start. o.O
The rest of the day went along quite slowly, until fungus that night! this was our first meeting back since camp, and everyone was pumped and excited for yet another awesome encounter with God and seeing friends again. Praise and worship was really awesome...especially since they did 'Still' AND 'the stand'! yay! if you remember, my blog name is from that song! Soaring, flying? eh? nice =D awesome worship leading aud ^.^ it's been a while since i've really felt God's presence so strong like our night sessions at camp, and fungus yesterday was no exception. From the prayer meeting to worship, games, message, dan&jan's poser session, it was quite an unreal experience. I don't know how to describe it, but our youth group seems quite different to the one before camp! Friendships have become stronger, new friendships and bonds have been made, and that I guess is central to how we bond and how we grow. God's really put a passion into my heart, and the hearts of others from camp, and I pray that God continues to burn that strongly each day, as fungus and 101 unite !
So that's basically what i've been up to these holidays.
What am I looking forward to? (or not...?)
- Fungus Rally
- HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 Oct 24th!
- Driving!
- 3/4 Exams T.T
- School..
Oh well. May as well enjoy the holidays while I can.
Except..I CANT BELIEVE HAILEYBURY GET ANOTHER WEEK OFF! NO WAY!
^_^
Relaxx. No stress. Till tuesday.
Dan13L.
message left at 12.7.08
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Memories - Highlife Camp '08
Thanks to Audrey, Jerusha, Gabriel, Alvin & Rutie for their photos =P
message left at 9.7.08
Highlife Fungus/101 Camp!
Camp! It excites me just to mention it! Honestly, words can't begin to describe the amazing work that God did at this camp; the powerful messages by the enthusiastic preacher Michael Raj,the breathtaking encounters with Him each day, and the strong friendship bonds that grew... that's just the tip of the iceberg! It's been one week now, since this amazing milestone in my life, so if you're ready...buckle up and brace yourselves ^_^v. (yes i'm dramatic, get over it. LOL xD)as some of you may know, this was my VERY FIRST fungus camp ever! Yes yes..so sad. I've been overseas in the Mediterranean, London (go Arsenal!), Queensland. *sigh. I've never experienced camp first hand! And trust me...after this camp...there's no place I'd rather be...than spending each day seeking and praising Him...building relationships and performing high school musical songs (randomly) in skits. LOL. =]
in the past, I've been to several church and kids camps - they were great experiences mind you, but for some reason..at this camp...i was less inclined to hold back, and was more able to give my all to Him.
I was looking forward to this camp, and was getting VERY excited and hyped up, (not hyper)... and all I wanted was to meet God, and to receive a touch from Him that i so yearned for. Praise God, I got so much more than that! So prior to camp, I asked God to really reveal Himself to me over camp, because at times, it felt as though I was miles away from Him. After the exam period, I had realised that barely any of my time I had given to Him, and this was something I really wanted to fix. Much stress, late nights and full schedules had wormed their way into my life, and I was often left distraught and alone. But just a few days before camp, when reading the bible, I came across a verse.
Psalm 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
So the day came. The second of july. Not a particularly warm or sunny day, but I was PUMPED! Although i finished packing at 1:30am. *Sigh. (I have no idea how i managed to squash everything in!) I invited a few friends from school, but luckily, at the very last minute, JON LEE decides to come along. Ahaha. Mister hair straightener himself xD I thank God for allowing Jon to come to camp, I believe God has begun to stir something up in his life and ignite a passion for Him! In the future, I just really hope that others will be more open into attending such life changing experiences like this, and I just give that all to Him.
Back to where we were. ^.^
We had quite an interesting bus ride there...from singing (over-sung) songs, to having the bus start smoking in the middle of nowhere!! But i spotted a double rainbow, and just reminded me of the promise God made so long ago. Nature is so beautiful...
Anyway...that night at praise and worship, I don't think I've ever seen our youth group go so crazy - jumping, screaming, singing and kneeling in worship to Him, and that already exceeded all of my expectations for camp! I remember the amazing atmosphere, God's presence was so thick - I couldn't have asked for a better way to start this camp off! That, accompanied by Michael Raj's enthusiastic preaching really set the bar for the rest of this Highlife Camp. Were we in for a treat! One thing that he said that night, was not to hold back or wait for the last night, but to surrender it all to Him! The song 'surrender' by Planetshakers has already racked up several plays on my iTunes, and prompts me to give my all, my everything to the King. (hey that rhymes..just realised. lol)
Lord every day is yours
Lord every breath is yours
Im giving my life to you
Lord I'm yours
....
I surrender all to you
I am nothing without you
Jesus Christ, take my life its all for you
Day two was good fun! We had a schedule full of games, brilliantly organised by Audrey and Azim. Thanks to both of you for the work and love that you put into running games at camp, the dedication behind the scenes as well as at the camp site, was something to be proud of. May God bless you, and continue to reveal Himself to you both, as He has great plans for the future! Today I was able to meet our family BROWNING! (ftw!). I co-led the family with Ruth, she was a such a great person to work with! Rutie has such an amazing, kind and loving personality, and such a heart for serving God. Let me just say, You're AWESOME! Thanks for all the notes too. Aha. =] I managed to get to know her quite a lot better, and am extremely happy I had the opportunity to do so! One of the highlights of the camp was the river crossing game..because we WON IT! =P haha..our family didn't win that many things at camp, but this was something to be proud of hehe. I just want to say, well done to everyone for all your efforts! Go team =P
The themed dinner was awesome! Although the food wasn't great (at all hehe), the place looked really really cool! And so did everyone ^.^And definitely, closing with HSM songs was 'wootage!' (if that's now an adjective!)
In my mind, the third day was the HIGH-HIGHLIGHT of the HIGHLIFE. (Sounds cool huh?) Honestly, you couldn't have packed so much into one day. Firstly, the hair. shaving. fundraising. competition. =O!!! Basically, altitude had spent the last month or so raising money for camp through busking, sucking up (*nudge), foodsales (thankyou to all the aunties!), and blackmail. (LOL not really :P) Mixed feelings of fear, excitement, incredible odds and FEAR again, the moment was fast approaching.
To think that our BEAUTIFUL HAIR would be gone!! Ahh!! What a complete disaster! (If you were a narcissist, you'd understand...right aud&jan?)
They counted our three buckets, (we spent a day looking for a fourth, which never existed >.<"), and 101's sole bucket (full of notes!). And announced the winner.
*Silence.*
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!! I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS ECSTATIC IN MY LIFE! OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!! Lmao!! Kinda got a little carried away with our victory celebration, and I'm starting to feel bad now. Sorry! =(
But yeah. you can't even understand how much this was building up....every day...dreading and waiting for this one moment! But then.
Relief. of. a. lifetime.
So I went back, and did my hair. ^_^v Haha. Woots! And thanks to jackie & stephi for my awesome haircut xD. and to my personal hair stylish Aaron. You guys are legends! Also to my messenger, who was 'pro'! (Go qynn!)
We also spent the entire day preparing for our skit! I am quite new to this, and I think I kinda screwed up our thingy. But we managed to come an amazing third! Our family rocks! Yvonne-y was "so cute"...as was everyone else for cooperating so well!
If you didn't get it, I think I thought about it too deeply. *sigh lol. I'll explain it to you. if you really want. :D (not now...im at like 1500 words...T.T)
That night's session was unlike any other. From praise and worship at the start, and the powerful ministering of Ps. Michael, this set the atmosphere for God to move amazingly. And He did. So powerfully, so mightily, so awesomely. Ps. Michael really challenged us, and God really convicted me, about things in my life, that I had to change if I was to live a life that glorified His name, one that was an act of worship to Him. During the altar call, my heart began to race, and I stood up, not even knowing what, and just knelt down, waiting for God to speak to me. When I was being prayed for, I just broke down and cried uncontrollably. Crying in awe of His presence, and sorrow of my sins, and the unfailing, unconditional love that He has for me. Our God is great. He is awesome, and worthy to be praised. That night, I just saw people crying out to God, and being touched so mightily by Him. But the conclusion of this session was what really blew me away. We began to pray for each other. In groups of two, three, four - even more, we cried out to God, and asked for His hand upon our life, our youth group, just thanking Him for all that He is, and His will for the future... This reminded me of a verse in Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
This really opened my eyes to the importance of friendship and relationships. The genuine love that I saw and I felt that night was just indescribable. And even reminded me that the love God has for us is so much more... I just want to thank God for being so real throughout the camp, for changing lives, breaking down barriers of the sin and of the past; for Him, nothing is impossible.
A perfect way to close off the camp, a warm and cozy camp fire, amidst the millions of stars that blanketed the night sky, so pretty... like you. (LOL. note to self: thats quite a good pickup line!) Singing random songs ranging from Veggie Tales to sunday school classics, Teddy Geiger to planetshakers, I spent five minutes or so, standing beneath the spectacular and beautiful night sky. Admiring the brilliance of God's creation, whilst trying to find the southern cross!! to my avail! Shucks. there were so many stars...i couldn't find it. Not blonde! I don't think anyone else did!! I managed to spot two shooting stars (there were THREE!!), and really took my breath away. Rarely did I sit back and admire the beauty of our surroundings and of nature, God's creation, and really just made me feel so thankful for all that God has blessed me with, the friends and family, a house to live in, and a beautiful world to admire. (not to mention an AWESOME god to praise!)
I just want to thank God for everything he did at the camp. I have gotten to know people so much better, made new friends, and experienced God's might and power first handedly.. what more can I ask for? (a nintendo ds with tetris maybe? LOL jk jk). I also just want to thank everyone for the love that they showed towards me and others, that was so genuine and powerful...be it through letters written, or acts and words of kindness and love. Remember, even the smallest acts of kindness can impress into one's heart!
This camp so amazingly exceeded anything that I had imagined in my wildest dreams, and I want to give ALL Glory to God. I pray that in the future, His hand continues to be upon each and every one of us, as we grow and love Him more and more each day.
Praise God for an awesome awesome camp!
This was truly..a camp to remember.
Dan13L.
PS. Btw...this post took me a good two hours!! I think slow lor.. :P
message left at 9.7.08
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Introducing...ME! =]
Hello there! A very warm welcome to you! After much thought (about five minutes), I have decided a BLOG would be a very nice way to pass time, express my feelings and views, and giving some space to ponder and reflect on the life God has blessed me with.So after (several) hours of thought and "hard work", I relentlessly toiled into making my very own blog. After being quite inspired by Isaac and Jerusha's blogs, (not to mention Audrey and Sarahs =]), with their deep and meaningful thoughts and reflections (DNM), eyecatching splashes of colour and design, accompanied by inspiring (and annoying) music, I initially thought this was going to be an easy task. (what a mouthful :P)
I was very wrong.
To tell you the truth.. i spent most of the morning and afternoon, even till right NOW, (nearly 12) trying to put everything together - i even resulted into editing large slabs of html code (thanks to my "awesome" year nine IT skills.. *cough.).. from choosing the blog name, to finding a skin to my liking, adding extra features, to writing this now, was quite a complex and confusing task.
it was after many hours of confusion and headaches that i realised...IT'S A LOT EASIER THAN THAT!! Not to say i'm blonde or anything...
well..only a little xD.
So here we are. Finally. With quite a nice design (in my opinion), and weird random widgets that are still quite foreign to me, i'm happy to say.. I've done it! Woot!!
*sigh of relief*
Where did i manage to find such an awesome name for an awesome blog? i hear you ask? well.
i don't know! Lol! =P My first few (hundred) preferences weren't available; suave, alliteratively, precise phrases..which had been taken! annoying right? So. i'm quite happy with what i ended up with. The title "Soaring, Flying" as you might recognise...is from the AWESOME movie HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL! Wooo!! Haha, and on another level...it reminds me of the love God has for us. In the chorus of the song 'Still', "i will SOAR with you. above the storm". No matter what our problem or situation, He is always in control, because he loves us so much! It's just really encouraging for me..and i hope..for you too.
Not too heavy, not too light. It's just (Daniel). right =D
Haha.
Anyways...we're finally here..hope I haven't left you dumbfounded and with an overwhelming sense of boredom..there's much more where this came from ;P.
So from stories to songs, bible verses to lame acrostic poems, pictures, videos and long (often nonsensical) posts...
i declare this blog..
OPEN! ^.^
God Bless!
Till next time..
Dan13L.
message left at 8.7.08